Mrs. Wheezer

Triple Threat - Or How the Pants Problem Has Hit the Wheezers

2011-06-08T09:06:00.004-05:00

Before the advent of the 90s, I assumed there were only two ways to wear pants: clean or dirty. Now that I am much older and fashions have changed, alas, I have learned wearing pants has become an artform.

Take S. for example. She is 9 and is only comfortable in her pants if she is in danger of exposing her nether regions. When she was a toddler, 'pull up your pants' became a constant theme in our house. She is quite thin, so I can kind of wrap my head around why she might have trouble keeping her pants in her hip region.

Moving on to L. This child knows how to wear pants. Hers always sit right at hip height. Never do I see any part of her rear end while she is out in public. Ah, I am so proud.

Now we have A. She is three, and she insists on keeping her pants yanked up as far as they will go. The child has a constant wedgie, and I just can't understand it. Isn't it uncomfortable? It sure makes me wince.

With S. we worry about the top part of her bottom hanging out. With A., she yanks her shorts up so high, we worry about the bottom part of her, er, bottom hanging out.

I wonder if I can get L. to give her sisters instruction on how pants are supposed to be worn...

Unsolicited Text Spam

2010-11-19T10:35:00.002-06:00

I'm fighting mad now. Somehow, my cell phone number (which has been on the do-not-call list for years) has become a target for text spam. After much hair pulling and digging around, I found where you, the consumer, can file a complaint online: https://esupport.fcc.gov/ccmsforms/form1088.action

So far, I've submitted one very long complaint as the spammer keeps changing the number appearing on caller id. The FCC provided a nice cover sheet so I can fax additional information as it becomes available (which I have used). As well, I received a letter through the mail detailing my complaint.

Here's hoping this government entity actually does what it is tasked to do. In the meantime, for those of you experiencing this violation of federal law (unsolicited texting), feel free to use the link above to file your own complaint.

Overheard...

2010-04-15T13:59:00.002-05:00

L. has a best buddy, P., who she claims she will marry some day.

While walking along behind L. and P. (who were holding hands, awwwww), I overheard L. telling P. all about their future life together.

L.: When we grow up and get married, then your little brother will be my brother! For real!!!
P.: Can we count now?
L. & P.: 1, 2, 3, 4...

They pooped out on the counting right around 48.

P. is an adorable little boy, but I hope he and L. never date. I want to use him as a spy on the boys she does wind up dating some day...

Fun is when...

2010-03-22T12:26:00.002-05:00

your 2 year old begins to quack like a duck...

loudly...

longly ...

in church ....

during service ...

while Communion is being served.

I could really use something caffeinated right now...

2010-02-09T14:10:00.003-06:00

Latest checkup at the doc's office showed quite a spike in my blood pressure. It came down during the visit, but taking measurements at home show a bp flitting and flying up, down and all around.

Sooo, in the spirit of being proactive, and in the hopes of avoiding a heart attack any time soon, I am changing my diet. OUT goes the caffeine, DOWN goes the sodium, UP goes the potassium, veggies and fruits.

In a week and a half, I've managed to lose 5 pounds and find a caffeine headache. Ouch!

The headache is absolutely not helped by the fact I was rear-ended last week while stopped for a traffic light. BANG went the car, POP went my back, and CRACKLE went my neck. BLEEEEEEEEEPPPP went my mouth. I have multiple reasons for being grateful the kids were not in the car with me. Not the least of which is that they would have expanded their vocabulary quite a bit that day. I don't normally swear, but boy did I let loose after that fender bender.

And I never knew her name

2010-02-01T13:15:00.004-06:00

I came across unexpected, and very sad news in the internet universe last week. A lady who frequently posted on a blog I regularly read passed away unexpectedly. She was 40.

It struck me that even though I never conversed with her (even on the blog), and she wouldn't have known of my existence, I feel her loss. Her postings were always lively, uplifting and forthright. She made a positive impact on dozens of people who she literally never met.

If you're the praying sort, say a little prayer for Gayle Broadbent-Ferris' family. They must miss her sorely.

If you have children, kiss a frog, wear a tiara and cut out some paper dolls together with your kids.

Her obituary: http://www.funeralalternatives.org/Obit_Results.asp?ObitKey=1642

Becauthe the talkth like thith...

2010-02-01T13:00:00.003-06:00

After 2.5 years hemming and hawing and trying to figure out therapy and schedules, we finally started L. on speech therapy. Her first session was today, and she skipped merrily off with her therapist. Literally. It completely cracked up the entire waiting room as she flipped her ponytail back and forth.

They have begun work on the letter 's' which I cannot recall having ever heard L. pronounce properly. This includes the times she and I have stood in front of the bathroom mirror practicing. The little mite just can't seem to keep her tongue back on the right side of her teeth.

She came skipping back to me after her session, pretty pleased with herself. The dark cloud fell when I told her she had to go back to school so I could go to work. When she threatened to run away from me, I informed her that threatening to run off was not okay at all. My response made her start to cry... Mommy guilt is in huge overdrive today.

Ah, well, I am taking vacation two days next week and plan to spend one of them with the L.-bug. Maybe spending the day together will ease the guilt a trifle.

Meanwhile, Mr. W. and I will have to sort out schedules for taking L. to her 10:30 appointment twice a week. It is inconvenient timing, but I am grateful that she is going to a very reputable clinic that is part of the local university. I am also grateful that the cost for a semester of one hour/week therapy time is costing us a grand total of $50.

Red Letter Day

2010-01-23T11:56:00.002-06:00

Miss A., after weeks of struggling, has managed to put her shoes on. The velcro is undone and the shoes are on the wrong feet, but she did it all by her little lonesome.

Of course, I had taken her shoes OFF in order to get her ready to take a nap... This one has a defiant streak a mile wide.

Ham soup for breakfast

2010-01-23T10:33:00.002-06:00

It's Saturday morning in the Wheezer household. S. played a basketball game this morning. We signed L. up for tee-ball, and A. has gone happily about her way.

I missed breakfast thanks to being blessedly slow to get ready this morning. Now that the younger two girls and I are back home, I decided to get some breakfast. Mr. W. made some really delicious ham soup earlier this week, and it really hit the spot.

While I have been eating L. and A. have been amusing themselves with Liza, the cat. Both the girls and the cat seem to be enjoying themselves, and the running commentary from L. has been hilarious.

L.: Liza tripped A. (complete with the singsong tattletale tone).
Mrs. W.: Liza makes everybody trip.
L.: What about Nadya? (our other cat)
Mrs. W.: Eliza makes Nadya run away.
L.: Why?
Mrs. W.: She is shy.
L.: Why?
Mrs. W.: Why do you ask so many questions? It's just in her nature.
L.: Why?

While playing with a feathery, jingly cat toy.

L.: Here, A. shake it like this and then throw it.
A. shakes and throws. Liza ignores the toy.
L. picks up the toy, shakes and throws again, this time beaning the cat. Liza runs off.
L.: Mom, why did Liza run away?

After I spotted L. tracking Liza with a big blanket.

Mrs. W.: Don't you put that blanket on the cat.
L. putting down the blanket dejectedly: Okay, I won't.

L.: Look! Liza let A. pet her!

L.: Mom! Can I pick up Liza? She touched me, but she didn't scratch me!

L.: Mama! Mama! She's giving her a bath. (As Liza attempts to groom herself despite the 'help' of two little girls.)

Liza is the world's most tolerant cat. Or at least, she is in the top 10. In the nearly 8 years she has been subjected to children, she has not scratched, bit, yowled or hissed at any of my kids. She has had ample provocation, too.

The Hope Suit

2010-01-22T09:31:00.003-06:00

At the beginning of my pregnancy with S., I had bleeding issues. Lots of bleeding issues. Bleeding issues that led my doctor to give me a hug and tell me he was so sorry I had to go through this with my first pregnancy. He told me anything could happen, but that this pregnancy did not look healthy. I should be warned that it was likely I would miscarry.

I was a mess. I cried, I prayed, I begged God to let me keep this baby.

And I continued to bleed.

Blood tests came back with hormone levels rising normally.
Ultrasound came back with a little heartbeat fluttering away.

And I continued to bleed. In fact, the bleeding became heavier.

Mr. W. found me in the shower sobbing one morning when I had passed a clot. He hugged me and insisted that I was still pregnant.

That was the day I went shopping. I needed a talisman, a solid object I could look at and take comfort in. I drove to WalMart hoping to find the perfect stuffed animal or baby blanket. Instead, I found a white Winnie the Pooh sleeper with green trim around the cuffs and little pictures of Pooh, Tigger and Piglet all over. It was a size 6 to 9 months.

I can remember holding it tight and trying not to cry in the middle of the store. When I got home, I hung the sleeper up in the middle of my closet. Every morning when I got dressed, I would stroke the little suit and say a little prayer of hope.

The bleeding continued. It lasted 30 miserable, emotional, crazy days. But I was still pregnant, and on April 17, 2002, I gave birth to a squalling, healthy baby girl weighing 10 lbs 3 oz and measuring 22.5 inches long.

I do not credit the Hope Suit, as I've come to call it, with giving me a healthy baby. However, I did come to understand how much a physical object can come to mean to a person.

PS: All three of my daughters have worn the Hope Suit at some point in their lives.

A Poem in Three Lines

2010-01-20T15:36:00.001-06:00

Dedicated to the idiot who drives the little red car I see zipping in and out through traffic more mornings than I can count:

It is after eight,
You are already late,
Please SLOW. DOWN.

Thank you.

sniff sniff So Very, Very Proud

2009-11-10T16:24:00.001-06:00

At the ripe old age of 4 and a half, L. has learned to cross one eye whole holding the other one still.

She gets that from me.

I'm so proud.

Lockdown Update

2009-11-09T15:24:00.005-06:00

And now, the rest of the story...

Burglary attempt was halted when an elderly woman pulled out her gun and fired off a couple shots at the attempted crook. Said crook made an escape into nearby neighborhood, which just happened to be right by the school. School went under lockdown as a precautionary measure until 3 when all the kids went home.

It sounds like the school handled everything very well. The kids were told the doors were being locked to keep out a man who had tried to get into someone else's house. Then the kids were all given ice cream as a consolation prize for not getting afternoon recess.

S. can be a bit of a worry-wart, so I am very glad that she skipped into school this morning with no reservations. Actually, I think her biggest take-away from the incident was the ice cream.

Isn't this just ducky

2009-11-06T14:03:00.002-06:00

First the Fort Hood shootings yesterday. For whatever reason, this has hit me really, really hard. Just the thought of the chaos and utter betrayal is bringing me close to tears.

Second, S.'s school is under lockdown at this moment thanks to a search for a suspect who broke into a house in a neighborhood near the school. News details are sketchy, but they've got helicopter support as well as K-9 dogs hunting for this individual. Fortunately, all the kids are secure, but I'm a little concerned about how everyone will get home if the search is still on-going at 3.

What do you get...

2009-10-29T11:15:00.002-05:00

when you mix a 4 year old with a skating party and a Christmas tree costume?

A gift certificate for 2nd place in the costume contest, and tears each and every time she fell down, shattering one of the ornaments on her costume.

Aren't They Just Adorable?

2009-09-16T19:29:00.002-05:00

What would a DaVinci exhibit be without Carnival masks?

You heard it here, first

2009-09-16T19:28:00.001-05:00

Teams
Engage
All
Members

Slogan I'm kind of proud of that MY team and I developed this morning.

;)

101 Muppets of Sesame Street!!!!!

2009-07-14T16:56:00.000-05:00

Check it out: http://www.nationalpost.com/arts/muppets/index.html

Blank Blog

2009-07-06T19:23:00.003-05:00

For the umpteenth time, I'm staring at a blank blog screen. Why can't I write anything?

This is driving me crazy.

A. is weaning. L. is taking to swimming lessons like a fish. S. is growing so fast I can't keep up. Mr. W. loves his new job.

I'm feeling bitter sweet about the weaning. I'm proud of the swimming. The growing up thing scares me. I am happier than I can say about Mr. W.'s job.

Lice notice came from summer camp. I've ordered some preventative lice shampoo.

I want to cut my hair, but I am torn. A. often uses my hair as a sort of security blanket.

There. My life in a nutshell...

Ok... OUCH!

2009-06-09T13:34:00.002-05:00

Found an unexpected, very, very HOT jalapeno in my lunch today. Unfortunately, I did not have any cheese left to try to cut the burning sensation. Actually, I'm not entirely convinced that WAS a jalapeno. It was awfully hot.

I've had a hard time contributing to the blog, lately. I really want to do better. I can't believe A. is already 16 months old, and I've documented precious little of her life here. She has all the sass her middle sister has. I have a feeling those two are going to wind up making S. look easy to raise.

L. has been exploring her defiant streak lately. I begin to suspect this is a stage, since S. went through a very similar phase. I just hope we don't have too many more months of 'you can't make me' and 'I don't have to do what you say' left. She got her very first haircut on Mother's Day this year. I cut off 4 inches of her beautiful, curly hair. She still has quite a bit of curl left, but those long ringlets are gone. I'm sad about that, but she does look adorable with shorter hair.

S. survived first grade. Her final report card was the best one yet. Above grade level for reading, S+ for spelling, S- for PE and everything else was S. Things really came together for her this school year. As many issues as I've had with her teacher, Mrs. N. did instill a certain amount of acceptance of the requirements for school. S. starts the elementary school next year. Where has the time gone?

Memorial Day

2009-05-22T15:37:00.000-05:00

"It is, in a way, an odd thing to honor those who died in defense of our country in wars far away. The imagination plays a trick. We see these soldiers in our mind as old and wise. We see them as something like the Founding Fathers, grave and gray-haired. But most of them were boys when they died, they gave up two lives -- the one they were living and the one they would have lived. When they died, they gave up their chance to be husbands and fathers and grandfathers. They gave up their chance to be revered old men. They gave up everything for their county, for us. All we can do is remember."

-- Ronald Wilson Reagan
Remarks at Veteran's Day ceremony, Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington, Virginia, November 11, 1985

I've Been Presidentially Spammed!

2009-05-14T09:36:00.005-05:00

Apparently, sending an e-mail to the President complaining about how he's handling bailouts was enough to get me on his e-mail list. This strikes me as incredibly funny since I'm not exactly his biggest fan.

Text of the e-mail rah-rahs the ongoing plan/discussion/blustering concerning providing better health care options for Americans. Plus it applies a subtle guilt trip encouraging the recipient to get all his/her friends and neighbors to sign up for the updates.

After the way the Federal government manages to muddy up every little thing it touches, I just gotta say (with respect to affordable federal health care): Good luck with that, buddy. You need it.

Of Strawberries and Bar-B-Q

2009-05-14T08:51:00.002-05:00

Miss A. shows a very decided preference for strawberries and anything that could have bbq sauce on it. It's to the point that if we are having one or the other, I have to hide them until after she has eaten the other foods with her meal. Otherwise, she refuses everything until she has gorged herself on the favored foods.

Neither of the first two ever showed that strong a preference for a particular food.

We drove down to Llano, Texas in order to enjoy some of Cooper's BBQ last month. It is Mr. W's favorite place to eat, and this was the first time he ever took me. Kind of a fun place where you pick out your food from the pits outside and take it inside to be weighed, cut and eaten.

Miss A. ate more of the bbq than I have ever seen her eat in a single meal. The kid sucked this stuff down FAST. We had leftovers we took home and reheated a couple days later. When she caught the aroma and saw the plate piled with the brisket and sausage, she squealed. Again, she sucked the food down.

Earlier, she pitched a fit because I did not have enough strawberries to suit her at supper. This was after she'd eaten plenty of other food. But darnit, she WANTED more strawberries!

Is it bad that I still giggle when I watch a baby pitch a wall-eyed hissy fit?

Wheezer on a wire

2009-05-05T15:19:00.002-05:00

Strange thing I did a couple weeks ago...

I climbed straight up a 20 foot pole (telephone pole type thingy), walked 40 feet across an awfully thin cable while holding onto two ropes, and trusted someone not to let me plummet to the ground in my little harness.

Note: I will NOT EVER EVER EVER EVER NEVER AGAIN do that.

Thanks!

The Libertarian in me likes...

2009-05-05T15:10:00.002-05:00

This came out some time in the 80s (as evidenced by the Reagan and Tip O'Neal references), but it pretty well summarizes my attitude about our current legislators.

THE 545 PEOPLERESPONSIBLE FOR ALL
OF AMERICA'S WOES

BY CHARLEY REESE

Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them.

Have you ever wondered why, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, we have deficits? Have you ever wondered why, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, we have inflation and high taxes?

You and I don't propose a federal budget. The president does. You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of Representatives does. You and I don't write the tax code. Congress does. You and I don't set fiscal policy. Congress does. You and I don't control monetary policy. The Federal Reserve Bank does.

One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one president and nine Supreme Court justices - 545 human beings out of the 235 million - are directly, legally, morally and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.

I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered but private central bank.

I excluded all but the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman or a president to do one cotton-picking thing. I don't care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash. The politician has the power to accept or reject it.

No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislation's responsibility to determine how he votes.

A CONFIDENCE CONSPIRACY

Don't you see how the con game that is played on the people by the politicians? Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party.

What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall. No normal human being would have the gall of Tip O'Neill, who stood up and criticized Ronald Reagan for creating deficits.

The president can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it. The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating appropriations and taxes.O'neill is the speaker of the House. He is the leader of the majority party. He and his fellow Democrats, not the president, can approve any budget they want. If the president vetos it, they can pass it over his veto.

REPLACE SCOUNDRELS

It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 235 million cannot replace 545 people who stand convicted -- by present facts - of incompetence and irresponsibility.

I can't think of a single domestic problem, from an unfair tax code to defense overruns, that is not traceable directly to those 545 people.

When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist.

If the tax code is unfair, it's because they want it unfair. If the budget is in the red, it's because they want it in the red. If the Marines are in Lebanon, it's because they want them in Lebanon.

There are no insoluble government problems. Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take it.

Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exist disembodied mystical forces like "the economy," "inflation" or "politics" that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.

Those 545 people and they alone are responsible. They and they alone have the power. They and they alone should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses - provided they have the gumption to manage their own employees.

This article was taken from the Orlando Sentinel Star newspaper

Not a hoax, for once

2009-04-24T08:21:00.002-05:00

Received one of those fwd: fwd: fwd: e-mails this week. In a rare occurrence, I actually looked at the e-mail, and verified the story! Navy/Marine Corps are trying to locate individuals stationed on and/or living on Camp LeJeune, NC from 1957 through 1987. The drinking water was contaminated, and they are trying to locate those affected by the contaminated water.

Article from the Stars and Stripes here: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=62156

I wish this one had been a hoax...

Funny for the day

2009-04-20T13:11:00.000-05:00

Letter to a bank:

Dear Sirs,

In view of current developments in the banking market, if one of my checks is returned marked "insufficient funds," does that refer to me or to you?

Sincerely

Race for the Cure

2009-04-18T18:14:00.002-05:00

We made our annual 1K pilgrimage today. The Susan G. Komen Race for the cure. And, in a feat never-before-accomplished by the Wheezer family... we came in DEAD LAST!!!!! Yaaaaayyyyy us!

It was kind of funny listening to the announcer strongly urging the remaining people (us!) by the finish line to get out of the way. The timed runners for the 5k were coming through any minute.

Go us!

I have got to stop reading political stuff

2009-04-18T18:04:00.004-05:00

Reading some commentary on the economy, I ran across this lovely gem of a comment:

I wonder if they found the clue as to why conservatives are a brainless , selfish , untrustworthy bunch of CIA name revealing traitors ?

Charming, huh?

As a conservative type person, I can honestly state that:
1. I am not brainless. Although, I do have boneheaded moments.
2. My charitable contributions are now and have been a significantly higher percentage of my income than Barack Obama's. Significantly! (You can Google his returns and see for yourself his typical charitable contribution rates.)
3. My family, friends and employer have all found me trustworthy.
4. I have had zero contact with the CIA. and
5. I have never categorically assigned a derisive description to all liberals. I save that for specific individuals, like the hate-filled bit of nonsense above.

The hyperbole of the comment just drives me bananas. And I see it everywhere! I completely understand resentment from the more liberal part of our population. I'm feeling a considerable amount of resentment myself. Name calling is incredibly immature, and this blind hatred is destructive. Can't we JUST GROW UP!!!!!!

Oh, and I see it plenty from hate-filled conservative bits of nonsense. It's beyond disgusting.

Inquiring Minds...

2009-04-15T14:07:00.002-05:00

Who REALLY thinks a kid's meal only needs one napkin?
Nobody who has met my kids.

How far will my car REALLY go after the fuel light comes on?
Hoping I don't find out, since Mr. W. would never let me live it down.

Is it REALLY worth the expense of having a birthday party outside the house?
In a word? YES!!!!! Birthday party for S. to be held at local museum. We may just do all birthday parties there.

Because I've Lost My Everloving Mind, That's Why

2009-04-10T22:22:00.004-05:00

Question: Why am I busily handcrafting birthday party invitations at 10:30 at night? See above.
I am the new owner of a Cricut Expression. This little gizmo cuts out just about any diecut my little heart can imagine. I'm having a ball with it, and so are the older girls. We've printed Tinkerbell fairies, big flowers, little flowers and even little banners with the girls' names. S. and L. have had a ball 'helping' me load the paper and push the buttons to cut things out.

I'm printing the ladybug layout I designed all by my little lonesome to act as S.' birthday party invitations. I used the trial version of the Design Studio software to make the ladybugs (using the Accent Essentials and Plantin Schoolbook cartridges that came with the machine). I'm not ready to fork over the additional money for the full version of the software. It's got some annoying limitations, but it does work with the existing cartridges. There is another application that does not work with the cartridges but will allow the user to design anything with it. I'm torn, but think I will wait until Christmas to ask for one of them from Santa.

Ugh, this turned into a product review. I do enjoy my new toy, and a girl has to have something to reward herself for doing her icky, icky taxes, right?

Public Service Announcement - Miss Otis Regrets

2009-03-28T14:46:00.001-05:00

To all the people who keep finding my blog using the Google search: Mrs Otis Regrets

The song you are looking for is 'Miss Otis Regrets' not Mrs.

Thank you!

Earth Hour?

2009-03-28T14:29:00.002-05:00

So Earth Hour is scheduled for tonight. Interesting concept where you turn off all unnecessary lights for an hour in an attempt to draw attention to the global-warning cause. Conserving electricity is an admirable thing, but the pictures I've seen from around the world of individuals celebrating Earth Hour have me scratching my head.

The one thing they all have in common is lit candles. Ummmm... burning petroleum-based candles releases quite a bit more CO2 than when the electricity for incandescent lightbults is generated.

It is exactly this sort of publicity stunt and the hype accompanying it that leaves people scratching their heads trying to figure out exactly WHO is right when it comes to global climate issues. I am one of those people.

Burning candles instead of burning lightbulbs for the sake of reducing greenhouse emissions? That is completely nonsensical and destroys quite a bit of credibility for the 'man-made-global-warming-is-bad' group. Whatever happened to non-politicized science?

Sleep...

2009-03-27T21:39:00.003-05:00

My department head and his wife have 10 children together. He claims that child-induced stress levels top out with kid number 4. I have no idea if this is true, and I will never find out.

With both of us working outside the home fulltime, three kids is plenty. With A. waking up every two hours for weeks on end, one is more than enough.

I think I am officially moving past the 'I want another child' stage, and into the 'it's gonna be great when everyone is potty-trained' stage of my parenting life.

Actually, lately, it's been, 'I can't wait until I feel comfortable sending all three to Grandma's house.' I suspect that will change once I actually get a few nights with more than 4 hours' sleep.

The combination of A. waking nightly and the stress of my job waking me nightly has really burned me out. I just hope I can hold out through April. May does not look as bad on the work front...

I am looking forward to actually spending time with my little family.

Complete Idiocy... and Heartlessness

2009-03-05T15:51:00.006-06:00

There are times the insurance industry lives up to its less than stellar reputation. Great American Insurance put on an exceptionally brilliant performance.

There was a fire in an office building (set by an incredibly, mind-bogglingly stupid person, but that's a whole 'nother story). Three people died from smoke inhalation. Great American denied the liability claim stating that there was a pollution exclusion in the liability policy.

I am well aware of this exclusion. Denying a claim because victims of a malicious fire had the audacity to suffocate to death rather than be burnt is NOT THE INTENDED PURPOSE OF THIS EXCLUSION!!!!!!!

I cannot believe 2 facts in this case.

1. Great American following this ridiculous path
2. The IDIOT judge who endorsed it

The case has been dropped, which is good. However, the families of the victims absolutely should NOT have had to go through this.

Here's an article summarizing the case: http://www.businessinsurance.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=14845

There may very well be excellent grounds for denying the claim. I am not informed of all the particulars. However, the pollution exclusion is NOT IT.

Update: I've been asking around, and I am not alone in my assessment. Basically, the entire insurance industry is in an uproar over this idiocy. It threatens time-tested contractual language and has royally ticked off the Texas Department of Insurance. And, it has messed up one of my major projects at work. I am still so angry about this. Something about watching people in my professional area behave like unethical raging morons really gets to me.

I am sad today...

2009-03-02T16:09:00.003-06:00

After a battle with cancer lasting over 3 years, Miss C. has passed away.

Too Funny

2009-03-02T11:09:00.002-06:00

My blog is the first return for a Google search on: forfeit of rental deposit in qatar

New Quote for the Day

2009-02-24T10:29:00.003-06:00

Watching politicians solve problems and keep us "safe" is like watching chipmunks discuss quantum physics.

This lovely quote appeared in the comments section of an article I read concerning a Houston City Council proposal to give people who can't quite get the credit score they need to buy a house $3,000 dollars. The idiocy is mindnumbing.

Also, why-oh-why would people even think that a homebuyer's assistance program is a good idea? Why is renting considered sinful? I just don't get it at all.

Article: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6277344.html

Conversation at Dinner

2009-02-23T21:30:00.002-06:00

S: Do boys get more baths than girls?

Mrs. W: What?

S: Do boys get more baths than girls?

Mrs. W: Say that again?

S: Do boys get more baths than girls?

Mrs. W: Boys usually get as many baths as girls... Why do you ask?

S: Boys are more stinky than girls.

So very, very many firsts

2009-02-21T04:03:00.002-06:00

February 6th. 1st Birthday

Amelia turned 1 year old. How, oh how, did the time fly by so quickly. She is a joy and a raging terror at the same time. Her curiosity is infinite, along with her ability to get into trouble. I had her home with her oldest sister one day, when I thought they were both sick. During the course of the day, I wore out my voice and my back redirecting her and pulling her out of trouble.

She ripped the covers off some books, shredded the pages and began eating them. She got into the bathroom and shredded a good portion of a roll of toilet paper. She snatched a chunk of fur off the cat and ate it. She pitched multiple royal fits when she found she could not get into certain drawers and cupboards. And on and on and on.

February 7th. - Our first shared birthday party and house fire.

In a fit of 'efficiency' mindedness, I decided we could combine A.'s 1st birthday with L.'s 4th birthday. L. is still young enough not to mind, and A. is still clueless. I figure that will change very, very soon.

We invited a bunch of people to our house, including a couple of L.'s buddies from daycare. The kids all had a great time running around like hooligans. The adults seemed to enjoy themselves, too, thanks to Mr. W.'s provisions. Honestly, he tends to put enough food out to feed an entire professional football team.

Now, I know you're DYING to hear about the housefire. Weelllll... I baked a cake early-ish in the morning and did not like how it turned out. So, I baked a second late-ish in the morning (party was scheduled to start at 2). In a rather stupid attempt to speed things along, I popped the baked cake under the broiler in order to toast the marshmallow topping just a wee bit faster. It should have been in there for a minute. Just as I shut the oven door, S. slammed L.'s fingers in a door. I completely forgot about the cake while kissing boo-boos and yelling at the door slammer until smoke and flames started pouring out of my oven. Seriously, I had scorch marks on my white oven door handle.

I managed to get the fire out without hosing down the inside of my oven with fire extinguisher stuff, but my house was FULL of smoke. You know how when you're a kid, the firefighters come and tell you that smoke rises? They're not kidding... at all. I put the charcoal cake out on the back porch so it would quit smoking up the house. It made for quite the conversation piece during the party.

My husband and his dad are two peas in a pod. During the conflagration, Mr. W. was out of the house picking up balloons. His first response when he got home? Maybe we can scrape off the top. When I showed him exhibit A., he said, 'Never mind.' When my father in law heard the story, his first response was, 'Maybe we can scrape off the top.' When I showed HIM the wreckage, he just started laughing to the point tears were forming. I've got a good picture of the cake, but I'm not sure where Mr. W. stashed his camera. I'll post it when I can.

February 8. - First broken molar

The tooth my dentist said needed a crown decided to start falling to pieces. Fortunately, this was not especially painful. Getting the crown later in the week was less than pleasant. Getting the bill was even less pleasant.

My dentist would give Doogie Houser a run for his money. This makes me feel old. Only old people need crowns (yes, I know how that sounds) and only old people fuss about how young their doctor is. Seriously, I thought the guy was a high schooler doing some sort of work study until I realized he wasn't there for giggles.

February 12. - First cancer diagnosis

Technically, my dad got his cancer diagnosis earlier than the 11th, but that is the day I got the news. It's supposed to be taken care of with surgery, but still, the 'C' word is scary stuff.

On the one hand, it feels unreal. I'm staunchly in the middle of the denial stage. Because, you know, it's just not possible for your parent to have a life-threatening illness. It's just impossible.

On the other hand, I'm kind of mad. How could something so nasty be growing on my oh-so-wonderful dad?

February 17th. - First word

Miss A. has decided to offend both her dad and me by her choice of first word. S. and L. both said 'dada' first. I have been working with A. trying to get a 'mama' for first word. Nothing doing with her, though. Instead, it's 'ka! ka! ka!' for one of our cats. Her second word is 'kee ka' which she uses for our other cat.

I could handle falling behind dad, but coming after not one but two cats? I get no respect.

The future of Florida?

2009-01-14T08:39:00.002-06:00

Working in the insurance industry, I've heard for years how there has been a frightening amount of over building along the Florida coast. Now that the housing bubble is bursting, home values are plummeting... Tax rolls for Florida are not going to be pretty in 2009, and I wonder how many governments will go bankrupt..

There are tons of listings in Detroit for homes where the price tag is less than $10,000 (that is not a typo). Here's one: http://www.realtor.com/search/listingdetail.aspx?pg=103&srcnt=1108&sid=cd7f0921a98c4f75ab5ca2d3144355e3&fhcnt=18&loc=detroit%2c+michigan&usrloc=detroit%2c+michigan&bd=4&bth=4&typ=1&ml=8&fhpg=3&lid=1105962986&lsn=1026

Will Florida be left to decay until hurricanes come along and take care of the over building?

The economy is scaring me, and I am anticipating a depression...

Neato thingy I learned...

2009-01-12T14:26:00.003-06:00

I've been annoyed that I can't listen to my MP3 player while it is charging on my computer. However, there's a pretty easy fix for that.

1. Take a little piece of paper and cover the middle two wires inside the USB plug. Carefully plug the cable into your computer without dislodging the paper. I think you want to be extra careful to JUST cover the middle two since I am fairly certain the outer two are made up of one live and one ground. You don't want to fry your lovely MP3 player.

2. Plug your player in the other end and voila! The computer is not trying to 'talk' to the player, but electricity will still travel into the player.

I don't know how many players this works for, but it did well on my little Sansa Clip.

Irreverence...

2009-01-12T14:20:00.002-06:00

Dave Barry blog post has me laughing pretty hard this afternoon. Actually, the Tempo of the Comets Probed my funny bone...

http://blogs.herald.com/dave_barrys_blog/2009/01/god-is-a-ford-m.html#comments

Hanging up the Horns

2009-01-09T14:49:00.003-06:00

10 months for S.
12 months for L.
11 months for A.

That is 2 years, 9 months of my life devoted to pumping milk at work for my babies. I'm through!

No, A. is not weaned. No, I am not giving up pumping altogether. I am just done hauling the pump and paraphernalia back and forth to work every day. Of all the drudgery that accompanies pumping, the back-and-forth aspect isthe most onerous (to me, anyway).

When L. was a baby, I bought a second pump so I could leave one at work. However, in a moment of 'we're never having any more babies, so why do I need two pumps'-itis, I sold one to a co-worker. Since we are now 100% committed to 'we're never having any more babies'-itis, I decided not to fork over the large chunk of change for a new pump.

This is only day 2 of no pumping during the work day, and I'm pretty uncomfortable. I'll pump when I get home, though and am guaranteed to get at least 10 ounces. Actually, yesterday, I managed to extract 12.

I felt oddly naked walking into work yesterday. All I carried was my purse. It's been a very long time since I didn't have a laptop or pump to haul in with me in the morning. This morning was easier since I had the laptop.

Based on previous experience, A. will wean around 14 months old following a steady decline in breastmilk production. Since she was 11 months on Tuesday, this very special time is drawing to a close. I don't miss the pregnancy part of having a baby, but boy do I love nursing my little girls. Is it bad that I hope A. breaks the trend and nurses to 18 months?

Important Bulletin: 3 Year Olds are Extremely Literal

2008-12-19T15:23:00.004-06:00

Some days, it feels like I will be a successful parent if I give my children the tools to become financially prosperous enough to afford the therapy they will ultimately require...

L. had been twirling 'round and around and 'round the living room to the point of becoming staggeringly dizzy. This is a source of great fun for both my older girls. I watched from the nearby rocking chair nursing Amelia and called out, 'L. did you know if you spin and spin and spin until you're very dizzy, you can lay down on the floor and the ceiling will spin?'

S. heard and immediately spun herself dizzy, lay down and watched the ceiling 'spin' around. She giggled the whole time.

L. was too impatient to spin enough to become properly dizzy, but she tried multiple times to catch the spinning ceiling.

Mr. W. called the girls in for their bath, and after L. was clean and in her pajamas, she came back to the living room and tried again. This time, she spun and spun and spun to the point of staggering around. When she lay down, though, the giggles disappeared. She looked panicked and began trying to crawl out of the living room but was still too dizzy to make much progress.

Poor baby thought the ceiling really was twirling and falling down on her. For most of the rest of the evening, she refused to walk through the center of the living room and eyed the ceiling with deep suspicion.

Mr. W. was in the girls' room with S. prodding her into pajamas, and L. took off after them. I called out, 'Don't let her spin in her room!!!!'

Mr. W. came back to the living room to ask why, and I told him what had happened just a few minutes prior. He didn't quite get it until I told him I did NOT want L. afraid to sleep in her own room for fear the ceiling was going to fall in on her.

(What sorts of careers do provide for either the mental health benefits or the high pay that many, many years' therapy will require?)

We have too much Wii

2008-12-17T15:05:00.001-06:00

S. is trying desperately to turn into a video game junkie, but her mean old mommy just won't let her.

Last Christmas, Santa brought us a Wii system, and we've thoroughly enjoyed it. I love that L and S can both play together and that the games require a certain amount of moving around.

The current big hit with the girls is Mario Party 8. You have the full spectrum of Mario Brothers characters who can all play various mini-games and board games. The girls have been playing board games against each other and two computer generated opponents. Each round of play starts with each player punching a die and traveling the number of spaces the die shows. Candy is available which gives a special power to the player. At the end of each round, there is a mini-game all four players play. Winner gets extra coins.

I let S and L play for about 30 minutes last night and then turned it off. Boy did S. fuss! Wouldn't you know that after supper, they pretended to be in the game. They picked characters' names, jumped up to hit the 'dice' and ran laps around the living room counting the number that turned up on their 'dice.'

L. insisted she was eating her 'bat' candy, so her running around involved a lot of wing flapping.

Maybe it's time for me to 'lose' Mario Party for a few days?

Early (morning) birthday present

2008-12-15T13:12:00.004-06:00

I recently had a birthday, and it was lovely. I spent the entire weekend with my girls (except for a couple hours Sunday morning when S. decided she'd rather scream and cry than go to church).

Friday evening, we had a fabulous birthday-eve evening. We pulled out the hide-a-bed in the living room, popped popcorn, and watched movies until we passed out. A. woke around midnight, so I got up from the hide-a-bed and fed her. By the time I had her soothed and asleep, Mr. W. had snitched my place. Being good-natured (and thinking I'd be more comfy in my own bed), I left him there. Around four, A. woke again, and Mr. W. came in to see how things were going, and to wish me happy birthday.

I told him he'd stolen my spot next to L. He offered it back (oh, how sweet), but I told him he should probably keep it since A. will probably be up again by 6.

Alas, my prediction was 100% wrong.

I woke at 6, not from the sounds of A. fussing to be held or fed, but from a ruckus in the living room. The scene in the living room was:

Mr. W. was running around grabbing blankets and pillows and grumping, 'I need a shower. I need a shower!'

S. was still sacked out on the bed.

L. was pirouetting around the room singing, 'I wet the bed! I wet the bed!'

And I, I laughed until tears poured down my face. Once we had everybody cleaned up and the mattress marinating in a vinegar spray, I gave Mr. W. a kiss and told him 'Thanks for the early birthday present.'

I had thought about waking L. around 4 to take her to the potty. She did drink two cups of juice with all that popcorn. Mental note for next living room campout!

He had to be sick...

2008-11-20T17:02:00.004-06:00

Nine years ago today, Mr. W. and I pledged our lives to each other before God and more than 200 guests. It was a beautiful, warm, sunny day, much like today has been. We were surrounded by friends and family who wished us the very best. I laughed until I cried about the shoe polish smeared across Mr. W.'s brother's face and the electrical tape used to hold the best man's shoe together. The photos with Mr. W.'s family show me just about in tears as we called out 'shoe polish' instead of the traditional 'cheese.' It was a lovely, laughter-filled day.

Poor Mr. W., though. He had been sick like crazy the night before. Fever, cough, chills all night. The fever broke the morning of the wedding, and his voice held out just through reciting our vows. My running joke has been that he had to be sick to marry me.

I still wonder what the people at the hotel thought about us as I did all the talking while Mr. W. signed all the bills for our honeymoon...

I love you, Mr. W. You make me a better person, and I'm grateful for that.

Ironically...

2008-11-17T17:01:00.002-06:00

Two days after my Socioeconomically Oriented post, we get the latest food security numbers from the USDA. They are, in my opinion, appalling. The fact we have so many children going hungry is deplorable.

This makes me want to cry: More American Kids Went Hungry Last Year.

From the USDA: Food Security in the US.

I wish you would read, think and contribute to your local food bank. We contribute around this time of year, but the beginning of summer vacation is another time the food banks are hit hard as children are released from school.

Socioeconomically Oriented Post

2008-11-15T04:02:00.003-06:00

There has been much ado about the definition of 'rich' lately. Where is the line between middle class and rich? How much does that vary based on location? What percentage of the tax should the rich contribute? How awful is it for people to be making so much more than the average Joe? And on and on and on.

Quite frankly, I don't understand all the fuss. I don't really care about the income/taxation of the wealthy. It's basically immaterial. What I care about is the number of people and families living below the poverty line. Shouldn't we, as a nation, be more concerned with that?

It just feels like the low-flow toilet debacle. Congress said, 'We need to conserve water, so all toilets can oly use X amount of water per flush.' Poof! We wind up with crappy (pardon the pun) toilets for a decade or so while the engineering catches up. If you want to conserve a resource, just make it more expensive. Americans are quite ingenious. Shoot, we even managed to drop our gas consumption when gas prices were so high. I know I saw quite a bit of car pooling at work. I'm not anti low flow toilets, I just think we would have found better ways to conserve water if water were simply made more expensive.

Now we're saying, 'We need more tax dollars, so we're going to boost the taxes of the wealthy.' Wouldn't it be better to investigate how to provide the skills, training, etc. to get people above the poverty line? You raise the standard of living across the board and tax revenue will go up. Why wouldn't this approach work? Why isn't it even discussed? And I'm not talking about a 'redistribution of wealth' situation, either.

I don't believe I'm the only person who thinks this way, but I really don't see anyone in the media asking those kinds of questions.

Driving a Rental

2008-11-15T03:50:00.002-06:00

Dealership confirmed that yes, indeed, I have a severe oil leak (yeah, the 3 quarts of oil we poured in over three days kinda said the same thing). They don't want me driving the car around while they wait for a part to come in, so they set me up with a rental.

Meanwhile, I have researched Texas Lemon Law requirements and have started the paper trail. I hope it doesn't come down to this, but just in case, I want all my paper work in order.

I Not L, I Tinkerbell!

2008-11-15T03:44:00.002-06:00

L. is in the middle of a love affair with Tinkerbell, and I think it is adorable.

We have a tattered old Tinkerbell costume that L. adores. When she gets home in the evening, one of the first things she does is strip out of her play clothes and put on that costume. The wings are falling off the back, the hemline is approaching Paris Hiltonesque proportions and the fluffy little skirt is unraveling. But, L. loves it.

So long as she is wearing that costume, she refuses to answer to her name. We must call her Tinkerbell.

The funniest thing about it, though, is that she immediately changes back into her play clothes at meal time. She doesn't want to get food on her precious Tinkerbell dress. I'm more accustomed to three year olds who insist they will NOT change a treasured piece of clothing.

I have the fixings to make a new costume, and hope to have three matching costumes made for the girls for Christmas. Who knows if I will find the time, but I plan to send Mr. W. out with the girls over the Thanksgiving break giving me a few hours with the sewing machine. Wish me luck!

Exasperated

2008-11-15T03:36:00.002-06:00

I've got two 'oh for crying out loud' issues. Let me just get these off my chest.

1. Before you start spouting how giving the bailouts directly to the American people will make us all wealthy, please do just a tiny bit of math. Please? $700 billion divided among 300 million does not come out to $233,000. Really. It comes out to $2,300.

2. About the Baylor University 'noose' thing. People, it was a rope in a tree. Kids were swinging from it. You know, for fun? It was as racially motivated as the pumpkins they tossed off the parking garage. Don't get me wrong, I know there are racial issues and racists that attend, but those are actually the exception.

FWIW, the only noose I ever heard about at Baylor was when some students attempted to lynch a (white) Catholic about 100 years ago. Fortunately, they were interrupted in this endeavor. One of my history professors pointed out the tree, which was still standing when I was a student. It's the big, ugly tree in the quadrangle, by the way.

What a hoot!

2008-11-14T08:47:00.002-06:00

Got this from Mayberry Mom's blog:

1. ROCK STAR NAME: Chad Honda
2. GANGSTA NAME: Mint Chocolate Chip Sneaker
3. NATIVE AMERICAN NAME: Green Cat
4. SUPERHERO NAME: Yellow Coke
5. NASCAR NAME: Hugh William
6. STRIPPER NAME: Roses Chocolate
7. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: Forgotten Frankfurt
8. SPY NAME: Spring Rose
9. CARTOON NAME: Orange Jeans
10. HIPPIE NAME: Muffin Magnolia

If you want to play, here's how:

1. first pet, current car
2. fave ice cream flavor, favorite type of shoe
3. favorite color, favorite animal
4. 2nd favorite color, favorite drink
5. the first names of your grandfathers
6. the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy
7. 5th grade teacher's last name, name of city that starts with the same letter
8. your favorite season/holiday, flower
9. favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now
10. what you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree

So why did I buy a new car?

2008-11-12T10:18:00.001-06:00

Lucky me just got finished buying a brand new tire to replace the brand new tire on my brand new car thanks to the brand new puncture in the side wall.

Lucky me, 2, is going to be dragging said brand new car to the dealership because:

1. The oil light has started flickering on. I should not be losing oil. The car only has 3,000 miles on it and oil shows 70% lifespan left.

2. The car has started making ugly noises when shifting gears. This started out mild and has gotten progressively worse. I should not be hearing funny noises from the transmission.

I just wish I trusted my dealership...

Back off the meds

2008-11-11T00:21:00.003-06:00

I am back off the anti-depressants. Many of my fears concerning them were coming true.

The side effects lessened in some areas and worsened in others.
I could not stop having anxiety issues that A. was suffering from the effects of the meds.
I also basically stopped eating since my appetite was completely gone.

I've talked to my doc, and I won't be trying again until after A. is weaned. He did say that if I could find out if any member of my family had successfully taken an anti-depressant, I'd run about an 80% chance of it working for me. I told him based on the amount of alcoholism and other issues, my family was far more likely to self-medicate. He just wasn't interested in prescribing valium like my grandmother took for so many years, LOL.

At least it wasn't RSV

2008-11-11T00:14:00.003-06:00

Miss A. knows how to do misery right. Poor little lamb ran the full spectrum last week and this past weekend.

Fever, congestion, wheezing and the struggles to breathe weren't enough. She also cut her first two teeth. Poor little thing.

She is a pretty remarkable baby, though. Through it all, she still remained in pretty good spirits, so long as I was holding her. At the doctor's office, she went to the nurse, the x-ray tech (had to rule our pneumonia), back to the nurse and back to the x-ray tech without complaining. I had to run into work for a few minutes with her and stashed her with three different people so I could get a few things done. Again, no complaints (but she was awfully glad to see me).

She would have an awful coughing fit and then go right back to cooing and babbling just as soon as it was over.

I wasn't kidding when I told Nurse Bonnie that A. is like that fantasy made-up perfect baby. She makes me feel positively competent as a parent.

Jesus would be so proud...

2008-11-10T10:38:00.001-06:00

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27639792/

Or not...

It makes me very sad to see Christians behaving so badly on behalf of their faith.

Three words

2008-11-05T16:01:00.003-06:00

Time Warner Cable!

Will these guys EVER get my bill straight?

I heart Dave Barry

2008-11-05T14:51:00.003-06:00

Dave Barry's election column made me laugh, in a good way. Here's to an America that grows up!

http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/dave-barry/story/756596.html

Editing because I've visited some blogs more political than mine, and I'm disappointed. Deeply and truly disappointed.

Why, oh why, do people take at face value what their party says about the 'other guy'? I just don't understand it at all. I find that the least accurate information I will get about a Democrat comes from a Republican and vice versa.

Just a couple of notables:
1. Barack Obama is not now, nor has he ever been a Muslim. In fact, his father was an ex-Muslim.

2. You know John McCain's comment about $5 million in income being rich? It was followed by, 'But seriously, though... I know this will be taken out of context...'

Scene at the Wheezers Sunday Afternoon

2008-11-03T16:50:00.004-06:00

We have a family tradition going back a couple generations where each child is professionally photographed in one of a couple different poses. The print is done in sepia and really makes a sweet picture. The plan is to have this photo done some time before losing the front baby teeth. Sort of a permanent documentation of the baby-toothed smile.

I'm a procrastinator. I always have been. As of Sunday morning, S. still had not had her photo done. When I picked her up after Sunday School, her teacher remarked on the fact that S.' top front baby tooth was about to fall out. My first thought was we haven't done the picture and Mom will be annoyed. Oops.

Since there was no time to get her in for a professional portrait sitting, we made do at home. A hastily thrown bedsheet made the backdrop and a towel covered the piano bench where S. leaned.

Chaos ensued.

L. insisted she wanted to get her picture done, too. Mr. W. failed to turn the flash on (and Mrs. W. failed to notice). S. had the darnedest time smiling for the camera. And, we have an odd shadow I hope to photoshop out of the final picture. A. laughed at our antics while safely tucked away in her exersaucer.

Meanwhile, S. could NOT leave that tooth alone. Every 30 seconds, someone was sternly reminding her to leave.the.tooth.alone.because.Grandmother.would.be peeved.if.Mommy.didn't.get.this.picture.done.before.that.tooth.came.out. S. thought that was the funniest thing she'd heard all week. I squished on the tooth trying to get it straight for the photo, but it was a lost cause. Hey, at least it was still in her mouth, right?

Would you believe that thing was still hanging by a thread this morning? I expect she's going to come home from school with it in a little box.

So Tired of Soggy Underwear

2008-11-03T14:43:00.003-06:00

The lovely Zoloft continues to work it's... er... magic on my sweat glands. I'm not perspiring heavily, just constantly. Please let this be one of the side effects that goes away. I'm really tired of my underwear being in a constant soggy state. It's quite unpleasant, you know.

I'm still running the gamut of GI issues, but I think I see a glimmer of improvement in my temperament. It's probably a placebo effect, but still, I'll take it.

The speech issue has mostly gone away with mild tremors taking its place. Actually, the tremors could be due to Miss A. missing the memo about the end of Daylight Savings and waking up at 3:45 this morning. Mercy am I tired.

My very dear friend is being a godsend through this. She has bipolar disorder and has experienced every side effect known to man. If not for her encouragement and well-placed guilt trips, I'd have stopped the meds. As she puts it, taking anti-depressants isn't exactly taking the easy way out. I can think of a lot of things that would make me feel much happier much faster. Of course, they are pretty much all illegal and/or hazardous. Since illegal and/or hazardous substances really don't belong in my house, I'll stick with the carefully monitored by my doc prescription variety.

Have I mentioned that I'm tired of soggy underwear?

This is day 5.

Hush, Little Baby, Mama Needs Her Zoloft

2008-11-01T05:24:00.004-05:00

Where to start, where to start...

For as long as I can remember, I have struggled with ugly mood swings. Specifically, during the winter months and during certain parts of my menstrual cycle, I spend a good portion of my time depressed. I'm not usually a weepy depressive. I'm more a screeching, temper tantrum throwing depressive. This can be very upsetting to my kids.

Since having miss A., my cycle issues have worsened. It is affecting my children, and I can't allow that to continue.

Enter the world of psychotropic drugs.

My doc originally prescribed Prozac, but A. reacted very strongly after just one pill. So, no Prozac. Since continuing breastfeeding is important to me, the next try is Zoloft. So far, so good for her. The side effects for me are worse, though. Those are supposed to lessen after a couple weeks, and I'm only on day three. I hope the reports that side effects lessen after two weeks are true.

At night, when I'm dealing with the nausea, sweats, GI issues, etc. I swear I am stopping the meds. During the day, I decide I am going to give it a month. At this moment (5:30 AM), I am on the 'no more' end of the spectrum.

So far, the most distressing side effect is this weird thing with my speech. I find myself unable to spit out the word on the tip of my tongue. It's not stuttering, but it is extremely annoying and frustrating. Frustration seems to make it worse. Poor Mr. W. is to the point of helping me finish my sentences. This is the one side effect that will make or break the Zoloft. I can't keep on like this. Being able to clearly communicate is important to me (and to my job). I exasperated the dickens out of an agent when I just could not speak. It doesn't affect my thinking or typing, just getting the words out. Strange...

My doc did let it slip that more than half his patients who work where I work (and where Mr. W. used to work) are medicated. Now what does that say about my working environment?

That didn't work...

2008-10-24T09:44:00.002-05:00

Chat with the Cable Company's customer service advised me to, wait for it... contact the exact same people who 'fixed' my bill before. Oh, and get this, requests for a manager were met with 'We don't have a manager in this queue.' Yeah, right... they're just putting all these guys on their little computers with nobody over them? I did not just fall off the turnip truck.

I called the customer service number on our Collections notice suspecting they just might have some experience dealing with people's screwed-up bills. Veronica was very pleasant and apologetic and assured me she had everything fixed. I guess I'll know for sure if/when my cable gets turned off.

Ya know, if my bill is still screwed up, I'm going to post the name of this Cable Company on my blog so all 10 of my readers will know. (very small laugh at myself here)

Normal Channels Haven't Worked

2008-10-23T22:46:00.003-05:00

E-mail sent to my oh-so-lovely Cable/Internet Service Provider:

I would like to please speak to a customer service representative, any customer service representative who is capable of providing just the tiniest margin of customer service. My bill is a screwed up mess, and I am begging, please, please, please, let me speak to someone who is even remotely capable of managing a billing customer service issue. Surely there is someone left.

Account: XXXXXXXXXX
Issue: $60.64 in excess charges plus a $5 late fee and threatening disconnect letter
Documentation: Transcript promising free installation; receipt dated 9/24/08 showing $0 balance and printout showing that we were charged for 2 installations. This was after speaking to an exceptionally disinterested customer service rep in person in Waco.
One unreturned voice mail from Sunday evening (I left this after being transferred three times and spending 30 minutes on the phone).

I am seriously doubting that customer service is anywhere on This Company's list of priorities.
I wonder if this will get anyone's attention. It feels like I've been yelling down an empty corridor just listening to my own echo for a month now...

The most beautiful word you ever heard... October!

2008-10-08T08:59:00.002-05:00

My darling, sweet, L. of the speech impediment can now say the word 'October' perfectly. She was so proud of herself that the first thing she did when she got home that day was come straight up to me and repeat 'October' over and over until it dawned on me that she said it as well as her older sister.

Now, if she just hadn't stayed up half the night practicing...

Going Political (just this once, probably... maybe)

2008-10-03T14:13:00.003-05:00

I plan to vote Libertarian this election. Quite frankly, I can't tell any real difference between the Republican and Democratic nominees beyond one of them seems more likable than the other. They've both had to sell at least 3/4 of their souls in order to get the backing needed for the nomination. All those concessions will mean that significant change to the status quo just can't happen.

If you are serious about making changes, then you should back a third party. Traditionally, it's the active third party that has ultimately made significant changes to the way our country works (abolition and women's right to vote to name a couple).

I don't trust the government to look after anything other than its own self interests. That, again, means keeping the status quo to a certain extent. Those currently in power have zero incentive to make any significant change.

I am pro life, and cannot begin to wrap my mind around choosing to have an abortion. However, I don't trust the government to enforce that, either. For one, there are way too many uncertainties. You just cannot legislate for every possible scenario. I think the pro-life movement would provide a FAR greater service if they focused on pregnancy prevention and support.

I think marriage should be between a man and a woman, and if my church officiates a same-sex marriage, I will be ticked. However, it is none of the government's (or my) business what two consenting adults of sound mind decide to do. The thought of a constitutional amendment defining marriage burns me up as a huge waste of time, energy and violates its very spirit. Beyond enforcing the marriage/civil union contract, the government should butt out. I do believe that if two same sex adults bind their lives together the same way a traditional married couple does, then they should experience all the pluses and minuses (including taxing negatives and sharing work benefits pluses).

I'm also ticked with all the political parties (even minor third parties) that turn this into a combat-fest. Come on, we are citizens and only want the best for our country. When you consider how evenly split the nation is just looking at Democrat/Republican side of the world, it is insane to keep things so full of animosity. We are going to end up (yet again) with half the country jeering at the other half, and I am dreading that.

Having been anti-major party so far, I will say that I am encouraged that whichever party wins, it will be historic. It is exciting that the Republicans were able to put a woman in the VP slot and the Democrats put a black man in the Pres spot. Who could have predicted this even 20 years ago?

Someone else who could use a science book...

2008-08-29T22:22:00.002-05:00

The original doesn't have the inspiring music. But, the music just adds that little 'something' to her rant.

What has she been up to lately?

2008-08-29T00:20:00.004-05:00

Baby A is on the move. Crawling, standing, trying desperately to pull up. Here are some pictures from when she turned six months old earlier this month:

Crawling, with drool:

Standing with drool:

Love those baby blues, without drool:

First Aid in the First Grade

2008-08-29T00:01:00.004-05:00

S started first grade on Tuesday. Where, oh where, has the time gone. She has gotten to be such a big girl. It sounds like she had a good first day, even came home with a band-aid after ripping a scab off her elbow while playing outside.

First day of school. Can you tell she just could not WAIT for me to get out of there?

Isn't amazing what you can find on the web?

2008-08-17T21:34:00.002-05:00

Awww, look, someone's created a Muppet Wiki: http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Muppet_Wiki

*sigh*

Shiny, Happy ULEV having fun...

2008-07-31T16:41:00.003-05:00

Mr. W. has taken a new job, leaving me alone and forlorn. Gee, I didn't realize how much I relied on him to keep me grounded and as a release valve for stress. He has been my sounding board and reality check here since before we started dating. Many people I've talked to have said they can't imagine working with their spouse. I, however, am trying to figure out how to work without my spouse. I miss him.

Since we no longer work at the same place (or even on the same side of town), we can't exactly commute together any more. Soooo, Saturday, we took the plunge and bought a shiny new Honda Accord. The car is big enough to fit three carseats across the back and small enough to get 30 mpg. Another bit of greenery is the ULEV label.

Since Mr. W. will be working close to daycare, he will continue to drive the minivan while I get to drive the car. It has been so long since I've driven a car, I forgot how much fun they are. I'm glad we got the little 4 cylinder model or I'm afraid I'd be zipping around a little too fast. I did learn how to drive in Germany... and going fast is fun!

Doing the Locomotion

2008-07-31T16:37:00.002-05:00

Little Miss A. is on her way. We now have rolling front to back and back to front. We have scooting forward and backward. We have getting up on hands and knees and rocking back and forth. We also have frantic attempts to stand up. And we are scooching from a laying down position to almost sitting up.

She will be six months old next week... What a change from when S. was a baby. She rolled over the very first time a week or so after she turned six months old. The way A. is going, I expect she will be walking by 10 months old. It is definitely past time to baby proof.

Heh, heh, heh.

2008-07-15T16:13:00.002-05:00

Just imagine Mr. W.'s name is 'Carl' come July 29...

Good News, Bad News

2008-07-12T10:47:00.002-05:00

Good News:

Since we started working closely with L. and her speech issues, she has become more intelligible. She still needs professional assistance, but we're definitely making progress while we're working out timing for her therapy appointments.

Bad News:

I have no idea how long she's been calling me a poo poo head, and I just didn't understand her before now.

Isn't parenting grand.

Good grief

2008-07-10T11:14:00.002-05:00

Perhaps someone should send these two yahoos a dictionary and a couple scientific articles.

From the Dallas Morning News:

Dallas County officials spar over 'black hole' comment
5:34 PM Mon, Jul 07, 2008

A special meeting about Dallas County traffic tickets turned tense and bizarre this afternoon.

County commissioners were discussing problems with the central collections office that is used to process traffic ticket payments and handle other paperwork normally done by the JP Courts.

Commissioner Kenneth Mayfield, who is white, said it seemed that central collections "has become a black hole" because paperwork reportedly has become lost in the office.

Commissioner John Wiley Price, who is black, interrupted him with a loud "Excuse me!" He then corrected his colleague, saying the office has become a "white hole."

That prompted Judge Thomas Jones, who is black, to demand an apology from Mayfield for his racially insensitive analogy.

Mayfield shot back that it was a figure of speech and a science term. A black hole, according to Webster's, is perhaps "the invisible remains of a collapsed star, with an intense gravitational field from which neither light nor matter can escape."

Other county officials quickly interceded to break it up and get the meeting back on track. TV news cameras were rolling, after all.

Conversation in the Wheezer household

2008-06-21T15:04:00.001-05:00

S: I wish I had someone else for my daddy!

Mr. W.: Go to timeout

S: I wish you didn't have any kids!

Hoo boy are the teenaged years going to be a fun time for all...

Because it's Saturday, I'm at work, and I'm grumpy...

2008-06-21T14:39:00.001-05:00

see more dog pictures

see more dog pictures

see more dog pictures

see more dog pictures

see more dog pictures

Fences

2008-06-12T16:15:00.002-05:00

I was recently invited to and joined an online community for people who attended my high school. Since my school was a Department of Defense Dependants School located in Germany, about the only way we can keep in touch is via the web. Alumni are literally scattered across the globe. It has been fascinating getting back in touch with people I haven't seen in the past 18-20 years. It's bringing back a ton of memories and some bitter-sweet nostalgia.

I graduated from General H.H. Arnold American High School in 1990. At the time, the base was open to anyone who cared to drive through all the military housing units, past the BX, around the commissary and schools. September 11 changed a good many things... Now there are fences and soldiers surrounding everything. Without a military ID card, I cannot enter the premises. Unlike most Americans, I can never go back to my high school to look around and walk the halls.

Even though the odds of me making it back to Germany in order to take such a walk are fairly slim, the fences hurt. It is another shock to the system how things changed post 9/11... If I had thought about it, I would have realized fencing and security guards would be a part of HH Arnold, but I didn't think about it.

I am excited about the online community. I hope we find enough graduates that we can put together a decent 20 year reunion come 2010.

How to get a 3 year old to thoroughly clean herself

2008-06-07T20:57:00.003-05:00

1. Allow three year old and her 6 year old sister to color... with markers.
2. Get distracted with 4 month old for a few minutes.
3. Discover three year old has decorated herself with said markers, which are blessedly washable.
4. Put three year old in shower and tell her to scrub until she is a single color (not GREEN!) again.

Now all I have to do is figure out how to get three year old to clean carpet which has also been decorated with washable marker.

Trying to find my way out of the blues

2008-06-06T09:44:00.003-05:00

This has been a rough couple months on the mental/emotional health front. Between postpartum hormones, work stress, home stress and seeing my co-worker go through losing his son, my mental health is a little precarious. To the point that I've gone on bcp to try to regulate the hormone flucations at least. They don't seem to be working. Next step would be to go on some anti-anxiety medication.

Logically, I know I should probably bite the bullet and take my doc up on the prescription he offered. Emotionally, I just can't quite do it. The funny thing is that I am almost certain that the emotions keeping me from taking the anti-anxiety medication are false and would go away once I finally started the meds. The analytical part of me is slightly amused by the cyclical nature of what's going on in my head. Uber-anxiety leads to a need for the medication but the uber-anxiety keeps me from taking the medication I need.

The not-so-analytical part of me is afraid to go to sleep at night thanks to the nightmares I've been having. The nightmare/lack of sleep thing is also very chicken-and-egg. Poor sleep leads to nightmares which leads to worse sleep which leads to worse nightmares and on and on. I've taken to working out at night for two reasons: 1. the endorphins are good for the spirit and 2. if I'm physically worn out, I fall asleep faster and am somewhat less likely to have nightmares.

On the bright side, I'm not in a position of being a danger to me or my family. However, I am not nearly as laidback as I ordinarily am. To the point where my boss asked me what was going on after I snapped at her a couple times.

Humbling Experience (in more ways than one)

2008-05-21T14:26:00.005-05:00

I've recently decided to boost my German proficiency. After not speaking it in any way, shape or form for 14 years, I've managed to forget quite a bit. Sooooo, I've started reading Welt Online thinking it would be easy-reading enough that I wouldn't be completely lost.

There was an online quiz today on the good ole' USA. I thought that surely I'd know the answers to any USA questions asked of Germans. Right? Right? Well, maybe not so much, LOL. Out of 25 questions, I got 17 right. To be completely fair, I did miss a couple because I did not understand what they were asking (note to self 'Opfer' is not German for 'opera' it actually means 'victim').

The so nice comment from Welt Online:

Sie haben 17 Fragen korrekt beantwortet.
US-Präsident können Sie als Deutscher zwar nicht werden - aber den Job haben schon Leute gemacht, die das Land schlechter kannten.

Roughly translated (I think): You got 17 right.
Since you're German, you can't be President - but others who know less have held the job.

*ouch*

Just for fun, I went back and re-did the quiz and got them all right (wanted to see what the message would be, LOL).

Sie haben 25 Fragen korrekt beantwortet.
Sind Sie vielleicht Amerikaner? Jedenfalls kennen Sie sich mit den USA so richtig gut aus - Glückwunsch!

Roughly translated: You got 25 right.
Are you an American? Anyway you know a lot about the USA - congratulations (or something to that effect)!

Go check out Bananas & Toddlers

2008-05-14T17:08:00.002-05:00

A lovely PIM is battling breast cancer. I certainly hope her quilt gives her some comfort.

Check out the story behind the quilt here.

Fun with the Wheezers

2008-05-07T15:51:00.003-05:00

Arriving home from visiting with co-worker whose son passed, I walked into pandemonium:

S. sitting in the timeout spot: He put me in time-out for NO REASON. I got a color change for NO REASON. *all said while wailing away*

Me: So, L. how was your day?

L.: I had a blue day *code for good day*

Me: Oh, that's nice. S. sounds sad.

L.: No. S. not sad, S. in trouble!

S.: I'm not in trouble, YOU'RE in trouble.

L.: Not in trouble.

S.: YOU'RE in trouble!

L.: NOT in trouble!

S.: YOU'RE in trouble!!!!

L.: NOT IN TROUBLE!!!!!

Me *laughing at this point*: Mr. W. can we run away from home now?

Gloomy, gloomy day

2008-05-07T15:48:00.003-05:00

Went to the funeral of a former co-worker this morning... He retired almost 4 years ago, but he was so very helpful to me the 6 years we worked together. A very kind man devoted to his church's youth, volley ball and M&Ms. He assured me he could taste the difference in each color M&M. Of course, he also once tried to convince me I broke our mainframe.

Mr. W. knew him just about his entire life due to church connections.

Can we please have a do-over for May?

What...

2008-05-06T12:48:00.002-05:00

What do you say to a man when he tells you he's relieved that he will be able to have an open casket for his son?

What do you say when he shows you the newspaper article, tells you that it was a horrific crash and says that they haven't seen their son, yet?

What do you say when he tells you how fortunate they were to have had their son for 25 years?

I stopped by their house yesterday evening and brought a bunch of paper goods (plates, napkins, tissues, etc.) after my mother suggested that those would be handy. I'm both glad I went and really wish I hadn't gone. The funeral will be Friday...

How...

2008-05-05T12:16:00.002-05:00

How does a person keep breathing after his/her child has stopped?

There is a very kind and generous spirited man who works in my department. We've done Toastmasters together and are both involved with CPCU Society.

His son was killed in a wreck yesterday. Head-on collision with a truck...

Edited to add: Please, please, please wear your seatbelts. This kid may have been okay if he hadn't been thrown from the vehicle.

Unusual problem

2008-05-04T23:53:00.003-05:00

Ugh... I'm still breastfeeding baby A., and it's going quite well. In fact, it's going a little too well. I am way over-producing in the milk department. This morning, I had to pump off a good 7 ounces worth of milk in order to relieve the pressure. Then this evening, I pumped off another 6 ounces. I'm still pretty full, but I need to hold off pumping any more since that just makes the problem worse.

This wouldn't be a distressing problem if things were a little more 'even.' Those extra ounces? All came from the same breast. The other one is showing all the signs of drying up. *sigh* I would so like to match, but I haven't found a good way to pad my bra.

I figure I have two choices: Figure out how to effectively pad my bra on the lagging side or try to stimulate milk production on that side. I really don't feel like working that hard. It's been nice being lazy with only one or two pump sessions during the day at work. Far cry from when I religiously pumped three times a day every day during the work day.

I don't know why I've been so 'blessed' with milk production this go around. I've never suffered from under supply issues. This go around, though, my body is trying to feed an army. Too bad I can't donate the milk. Thanks to living in Europe at the wrong time, I am no longer eligible to donate blood, milk, marrow, etc. etc. etc. here in the US.

There are milk banks that provide donated human milk for preemies and other babies in desperate need of the special qualities that only human breastmilk can provide. It's an interesting process with a screening process similar to blood donation. But again, I'm not eligible to donate...

New Toy(s)

2008-05-03T12:22:00.004-05:00

I am writing this using our very old computer, but looking at our very new monitor. We've gone from 17" CRT to 22" flat panel. What a difference (and what a lot of room on our computer desk)!

Now all I need to do is get the computer my parents left with us up and running. Since it is only a couple yeras old (vs 6 years on our old computer), I think it'll have a driver that will actually take advantage of the 1680 by 1050 resolution. I'm stuck using 1280 by 1024 on the old machine, so things are a little bit stretched out and there wasn't a driver to be found that would let me upgrade.

Next on my agenda is to get high speed internet access. Limping along on dial-up was livable when using a piece of junk machine. However, it's going to be really, really frustrating once we're working on the newer pc.

So, Mom & Dad. Thank you! And our cable company thanks you, too.

Funnines for the day

2008-05-02T10:12:00.002-05:00

1. Driving to daycare this morning, I followed a new sedan occupied by 3 senior citizens. The bumper sticker read: Eat Rice! Potatoes make your butt BIG

2. I am wearing the same nursing bras I had when L. was a baby. It is time to go a-shopping. The one I'm wearing today squeaks every time I move my left arm. Seriously, I can make 'armpit noises' on demand.

Offended

2008-05-01T14:03:00.004-05:00

This is mostly a rant, I've just got to let this out before I come apart on some unsuspecting soul...
To each and every person who has implied or will imply that Mr. W. and I are anything less than delighted that our third child had the audacity to actually be a GIRL... Back off!!!!! I am getting royally cheesed that ninety percent of the people we know have responded to our wonderful, beautiful, delightful, healthy little girl by asking if we're going to try again for a boy.

Normally, when people say stupid things or imply that I am somehow inferior, stupid, wrong, etc., I let it go. It's just not worth the energy to respond to others' hurtfulness. But, when you ask me if I'm going to keep having babies in order to get a 'desired' gender, you are no longer insulting me! You are implying that my daughter is somehow unwanted, and I can't stand that. It is hurtful to my daughters. Yes, all three of them can be hurt by your stupid questions.

I am in my mid-thirties and Mr. W. is in his forties. Do you realize how fortunate we are that we conceived naturally and easily, and I delivered a beautiful, healthy baby? Do you? How on earth can you respond to our children with anything other than happiness for us? You know something else? I am DELIGHTED our third child is a girl. We have a pretty good grasp on what it means to raise a girl. Raising a boy frightens me a big.

I've heard people asked my grandmother (one of three girls) why she wasn't a boy. That hurt her, and I will NOT permit my daughters to be hurt that way.

Oh, I'm just so angry right now! We've been getting the comments since we first announced we were expecting. Would you believe I received condolences from a couple people when I told them that the u/s showed a healthy girl? Condolences! One induh!vidual mentioned it several times, even after I told her in no uncertain terms that I was nothing but delighted. We attended a birthday party last weekend, and one particularly bad-mannered busybody asked not only me, but also Mr. W. if we were going to keep trying for a boy! In front of my girls!!!! GRRRRR!!!!

Entertainment among the senior set

2008-04-23T20:57:00.003-05:00

My dad bought a radar gun. His 'mission' is to get the speed limit on their street enforced. So, he is keeping record of how fast people fly down that street.

Lately, though, he has been exploring the entertainment value of owning a radar gun in a state where radar detectors are both legal and prevalent. Apparently, it's great fun to 'shoot' people driving way too fast just to watch their brake lights come on when their radar detector goes off. I imagine you could really mess with someone's mind with one of these gizmos.

Parents...

Laughter

2008-04-23T20:53:00.003-05:00

Baby's first out loud giggles are magic. This evening, Miss A. gave me a good 5 minutes of giggling, chortling and belly laughs.

Of course, she made up for it by having a short screaming fit right before bedtime. She last pooped on Friday and has progressed to the point of gassiness. I'm expecting massive blowout any time now... Big sister S. was on an every 7 to 10 days poop schedule right around this age. Good kid managed to save up her explosions for daycare. Mr. W. and I seriously went several months without having to change a single poopy diaper.

Because I needed a laugh today...

2008-04-15T17:22:00.003-05:00

see more crazy cat pics

see more crazy cat pics

see more crazy cat pics

Fly on the wall, II

2008-04-14T13:08:00.002-05:00

Mrs. W.: I'm sorry.

Mr. W.: Hmmmm

Mrs. W.: I'm so, so sorry.

Mr. W.: Huh

Mrs. W.: I'm really sorry about your truck.

Mr. W.: How many times are you going to say you're sorry?

Mrs. W.: As many times as it takes for you to say, 'It's okay. It was an accident.'

Mr. W.: Oh! ... It's okay. It was an accident.

Yes, Mrs. W. managed to back the minivan into Mr. W.'s precious red truck. We have a big ole dent in the truck now. Fortunately, the van doesn't look like it took any more damage than what the accident did. *sigh*

Security Deposit Forfeiture

2008-04-10T17:25:00.002-05:00

To: Former Tenants
Re: Forfeiture of Security Deposit

Be it known that former Tenants, S., L. and A. have been found jointly and severally liable for the following damages.

1. Vericose veins: 1 on inner right calf;
2. Significant Stretchmarks: Lower, mid and upper belly plus chest and outer thigh;
3. Bust droopage;
4. Odd skin pigmentation: 2 brown spots on face; and
5. Sleep deprivation corrollating to the loss of 1 year life expectancy.

Former tenants may choose from the following options for repayment of structural damages:

Option A
1. Erase, remove or otherwise obliterate Vericose Veins;
2. Erase, remove or otherwise obliterate Significant Stretchmarks;
3. Repair and/or replace bust back to its original pre-tenancy condition;
4. Erase, remove or otherwise obliterate strange facial colorations; and
5. Permit Landlord to sleep in until 10 am each and every Saturday morning into perpetuity.

Option B
1. Provide hugs, kisses and 'I love you's into perpetuity;
2. Provide entertainment by way of cute child moments on into adulthood;
3. Provide stress while Landlord and Landlord's Partner attempt to prepare former tenants for adulthood.
4. Tenants are to cherish one another even in the midst of ridiculous bickering that has left Landlord feeling the urge to pierce her own eardrums; and
5. Tenants to serve as reminder for Landlord and Landlord's Partner's devotion to one another.

Be it known that Landlord hopes and prays that former tenants choose Option B. Landlord loves tenants very much even if she does experience some insecurity concerning her appearance post-tenancy.

Timeline - Or I Didn't Need This Right Now

2008-04-04T12:03:00.002-05:00

How my Thursday went:

5:30 am - A. wakes up ready to eat. Diaper change, nursing session, back to sleep

6:00 am - Lay out clothes for L. hop in the shower, get dressed

6:30 am - L and S up out of bed, eat, dress, mess around

7:00 am - A up again and ready to eat

7:30 am - load everyone up and out the door

7:45 am - drop S. off at school

8:10 am - rear ended while on the way to drop off L and A, minor tension headache worsens considerably. L. very angry that I allowed the bump to happen. Nobody hurt.

8:45 am - Still waiting for officer to finish paper work and L has to potty NOW. Use potty in back of van (thank you, Mr. W. for ensuring we are prepared for this sort of emergency).

9:00 am - Finally get A and L to school.

9:20 am - Finally get me to work, call mom and boohoo on the phone a few minutes

10:00 am - Call to agent of guy who rear ended me and give claim info. All's good and claim will be paid

10:10 am - Call to body shop that has already replaced our bumper twice. Consider asking them if they can replace with flourescent pink this time.

12:00 pm - Call from claims office. Further claim information taken and all is good.

12:10 pm - Another call from claims office. Claim is denied after all since driver was excluded. Driver all kinds of apologetic and wants to pay my damages out of his pocket.
Tension headache getting really bad at this point

1:00 pm - Call to body shop to ask their experiences with having another pay for repairs. Trying to decide if I want my insurance company to deal with him or just do it myself. Ultimately decide I want to let my insurance company deal.

1:30 pm - Call to guy's agent to make sure he knew what was going on. I suspect there may be an E&O issue, but don't plan to mention that to anyone involved.

1:40 pm - Call to my insurance co. to set up claim. Very nice claims rep answered all my questions. She needs to verify that the accident will be covered under Uninsured Motorist (it will be), which will be to my financial benefit.

4:45 pm - Headache bad enough that I decide to go home. Halfway there, realize I left claim paperwork on my desk. Go to call Mr. W. to ask him to grab it when I realize the cell phone was left on top of the paperwork. Briefly consider returning to the office to get phone and paper work but decide not to.

5:00 pm - Pull into Sonic to buy a strawberry limeade. About to head out without tasting the drink first, and realize what kind of day I've had. Take a big swig and realize that the drink is very, very, very wrong. Wait 5 minutes for them to change out the Sprite machine and fix a new drink.

5:10 pm - Get home and realize I don't have the clicker to the garage door and the front door is chained. Fool with the gate to get into the backyard and hope and pray the bees that have been hanging around our back door are gone. Get in the house, put an ice pack on my neck, lay down on the couch with my drink and call my mom again.

This was a pretty yucky day, but it would have been unbearably worse if my foot had slipped off the brake when the guy hit us.

Pavlov would be so proud...

2008-04-02T16:36:00.004-05:00

Back in late February, I broke out ye olde breastpump. I was having trouble with too much milk production and needed (among other things) some tubing for my breastpump ASAP. So off to the medical supply place I went with baby in tow. They had the tubing at around 2x the price I could have ordered it elsewhere, but it was a bit of an emergency. After we got home, I nursed A. put her to bed and then started up a pot of water to boil for sterilizing the tubes. Once the tubes were boiled and as emptied of water as I could get them, I hooked them up to the pump. In the past, I've used the pump to air dry my the silicone tubes faster. It is a matter of attaching the tubes and turning the pump on without anything else attached. Interestingly enough, the 'girls' remembered the sound of the pump and immediately let down just a ton of milk all over the place. I did grab a bottle and 'caught' 3.5 ounces or so. Arf, arf!

***

Today's my first day back at work, and in a truly boneheaded moment, I only brought three bottles to pump in. I have a stack of baggies for breastmilk storage still sitting at home, where they're just a big help right now. The three bottles have been full for a few hours, and I could really stand to pump right now. However, I just can't seem to bring myself to dump out any milk... Thinking about my baby causes my milk to let down, and well, let's just say I'm VERY thankful I wore my Lily Padz today. I don't usually leak, so I wore them mostly so I don't show through my shirt, if you know what I mean. However, leaking is definitely an issue right now.

Can anyone say 'conditioned response going awry'?

Pavlov's Wikipedia entry

Fly on the wall

2008-04-01T08:39:00.002-05:00

Mrs W.: *crying*

Mr. W.: I'm sorry.

Mrs. W.: *sniffing*

Mr. W.: I'm so, so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you.

Mrs. W.: *sniff**sniff* I know, but you can be such a stupid man sometimes.

Mr. W.: I know. I'm sorry.

To be completely fair to Mr. W. This was a case of minor dumb man syndrome combined with minor post partum hormonal fluctuation. You know those medications that warn not to take with alcohol because combined they can be fatal? There should be a warning not to combine dumb man syndrome with postpartum hormones.

Isn't it just too darn bad...

2008-02-28T13:08:00.003-06:00

My doc has been giving me fits about how long he will sign me out from work. As in, he insists I only need 6 weeks. Based on previous experience, I know I need 8. I was supposed to schedule my final post partum check the week of March 17 or March 24. These would be at 5.5 or 6.5 weeks post partum. Isn't it just too darn bad the earliest appointment I could get was March 31? Since I can't be released back to work until he sees me, this will work out just great!